Wow, you really drew that? - Welcome to The Wounded Artist Project

Welcome to The Wounded Artist Project website.
We are a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is sending art kits to war wounded recovering in
military hospitals.

We believe The Project art kits will provide a welcome diversion from boredom for wounded recovering from traumatic wounds, burns, and amputations when they are in downtime from regular therapy sessions. And while art is a recognized tool for helping people deal with trauma, we want our kit recipients to also use our kits and think about their futures. Somewhere, sometime, someone will look over the shoulder of one our artists and ask, "Wow, you really drew that?" Imagine how encouraging that will be.

We want to build three stages of kits: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. We would like our artists to send us samples of their work to move into the next stage which will be more to their interests.

First, you should always keep in mind that you are drawing in and developing your own styles. Dont get discouraged if your drawings don’t look exactly like the subject you chose to draw. And dont let anyone trash-talk your work either. Stay positive and keep drawing.
Send us samples of your work to post on this website.

Second, we believe the kits will keep you involved and encouraged to heal and develop art skills that could be useful elsewhere. We will suggest that with some practice and hard work you may someday even pick a college major and/or go to work using these new art skills as illustrators, designers, engineers, cartoonists, or art teachers. Some of you may like the perspective drawing so much you decide to go to school to become architects; some may even become so interested in drawing the human body that they decide to study human physiology and go to medical school to become doctors. I would like to think if you are self-conscious about your wounds that you may become successful, home-based, freelance artists. You never know, someone may pair up their art skills with a creative writer and create a bestselling graphic novel.

Third, when you are healed up and back in the swing of things, be sure to reach back and help another vet or someone who’s having a tough time with life. Volunteer.

Wow, you really drew that? - Welcome to The Wounded Artist Project

Welcome to The Wounded Artist Project website.
We are a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is sending art kits to war wounded recovering in
military hospitals.

We believe The Project art kits will provide a welcome diversion from boredom for wounded recovering from traumatic wounds, burns, and amputations when they are in downtime from regular therapy sessions. And while art is a recognized tool for helping people deal with trauma, we want our kit recipients to also use our kits and think about their futures. Somewhere, sometime, someone will look over the shoulder of one our artists and ask, "Wow, you really drew that?" Imagine how encouraging that will be.

We want to build three stages of kits: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. We would like our artists to send us samples of their work to move into the next stage which will be more to their interests.

First, you should always keep in mind that you are drawing in and developing your own styles. Dont get discouraged if your drawings don’t look exactly like the subject you chose to draw. And dont let anyone trash-talk your work either. Stay positive and keep drawing.
Send us samples of your work to post on this website.

Second, we believe the kits will keep you involved and encouraged to heal and develop art skills that could be useful elsewhere. We will suggest that with some practice and hard work you may someday even pick a college major and/or go to work using these new art skills as illustrators, designers, engineers, cartoonists, or art teachers. Some of you may like the perspective drawing so much you decide to go to school to become architects; some may even become so interested in drawing the human body that they decide to study human physiology and go to medical school to become doctors. I would like to think if you are self-conscious about your wounds that you may become successful, home-based, freelance artists. You never know, someone may pair up their art skills with a creative writer and create a bestselling graphic novel.

Third, when you are healed up and back in the swing of things, be sure to reach back and help another vet or someone who’s having a tough time with life. Volunteer.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

• Bob McDonald of the Foundation of American Veterans for the grant to help get us going
• Mike Harris of the Michigan Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America and Doug Wells of the Disabled American Veterans for their moral support
• Carol, Hallie and Lee Ames at Random House for letting us produce a special edition of Lee’s "Draw 50" series
• Paul Garland for video production